PHOENIX – Republican John McCain showed Election Day optimism by flashing a thumbs-up sign Tuesday after casting his ballot for president at a church near his home.

McCain stepped out of a sport-utility vehicle with wife Cindy and son Jimmy as a small crowd cheered “Go, John, go!” and “We love you!” One person carried a sign that read, “Use your brain, vote McCain!” Jimmy McCain is a U.S. Marine who served in Iraq.

The McCains walked into the church, cast their ballots and left within minutes. The Arizona senator signed a poster and gave the thumbs-up sign before leaving without speaking to reporters.

Earlier in the morning, McCain could be seen on the patio of his high-rise condo, pacing with a cell phone in one hand and a large cup of coffee in the other.

“In a way I’m kind of sorry that it’s over because it’s been exciting,” McCain told ABC’s “Good Morning America” in an interview broadcast Tuesday. “I mean, it’s been one of the most incredible experiences that anybody can have.”

Shortly after voting, McCain flew to a rally in Grand Junction, Colo., and he planned to visit a volunteer site in New Mexico before returning to Phoenix. That’s a break from his Election Day tradition of watching a movie before election results begin to come in.

The 72-year-old Senate veteran vowed to fight for every vote even as national and state battleground polls found Democrat Barack Obama with a measurable headwind into Election Day.

A blizzard of late polls showed Obama leading in most competitive states, leaving McCain with only the narrowest possible path to victory Tuesday night.

“I think these battleground states have now closed up, almost all of them, and I believe there’s a good scenario where we can win,” McCain told CBS’ “The Early Show” hours before the polls opened. “Look, I know I’m still the underdog, I understand that.”